Random House New Releases - Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writingshttp://www.randomhouse.com/category/www.randomhouse.com2006-03-13T11:23:00-05:00Bewilderments by Avivah Gottlieb Zornbergwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805243048"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780805243048" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805243048">Bewilderments</a> Reflections on the Book of Numbers<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=34154">Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg</a></h3><b>Hardcover</b>, 400 pages | Schocken | Religion - Bible - Criticism, Interpretation; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Psychology of Religion | <b>$28.95</b> | 978-0-8052-4304-8 (0-8052-4304-6)<p>The newest book in Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg&rsquo;s award-winning series of commentaries on the hebrew bible.<br> &#160;<br> The book of Numbers is the narrative of a great failure. What should have been for the Israelites a brief journey from Mount Sinai to the Holy Land becomes a forty-year death march. Both before and after the devastating report of the Spies, the narrative centers on the people&rsquo;s desire to return to Egypt, to undo the miraculous work of the Exodus. At its heart are speeches of complaint and lament, expressing a profound existential skepticism. But by contrast, in the narrative of the book of Numbers that is found in mystical and Hasidic sources, the generation of the wilderness emerges as one of extraordinary spiritual experience, receivers of the Torah to the fullest extent, fed on miracles and nurtured directly by God: a generation of ecstatic faith, human partners in an unprecedented conversation with the Deity. Drawing on kabbalistic sources, the Hasidic commentators on the book of Numbers depict a people who transcend prudent considerations in order to follow God into the wilderness, where their spiritual yearning comes to full expression.<br> &#160;<br> This view of the wilderness history invites us into a different kind of listening to the many cries of distrust, lament, and resentment that issue from the Israelites throughout the book of Numbers. Is there a way to integrate this narrative of dark murmurings, of obsessive fantasies of return to Egypt, with the celebration of a love-intoxicated wilderness discourse? The question touches not only on the language the Israelites speak but also on the very nature of human utterance. Who are these people? Who are we who listen to them? What effect does the cumulative trauma of slavery, the miracles of Exodus, the revelation at Sinai, have on a nation that is beginning to speak? In <i>Bewilderments,</i> one of the most admired biblical commentators at work today posits fascinating answers to these questions through the magnificent literary, scholarly, and psychological analysis of the text that is her trademark.</p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97808052430482015-02-24T00:30:00-05:00Bewilderments by Avivah Gottlieb Zornbergwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805243055"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780805243055" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805243055">Bewilderments</a> Reflections on the Book of Numbers<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=34154">Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg</a></h3><b>eBook</b>, 400 pages | Schocken | Religion - Bible - Criticism, Interpretation; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Psychology of Religion | <b>$18.99</b> | 978-0-8052-4305-5 (0-8052-4305-4)<p>The newest book in Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg&rsquo;s award-winning series of commentaries on the hebrew bible.<br> &#160;<br> The book of Numbers is the narrative of a great failure. What should have been for the Israelites a brief journey from Mount Sinai to the Holy Land becomes a forty-year death march. Both before and after the devastating report of the Spies, the narrative centers on the people&rsquo;s desire to return to Egypt, to undo the miraculous work of the Exodus. At its heart are speeches of complaint and lament, expressing a profound existential skepticism. But by contrast, in the narrative of the book of Numbers that is found in mystical and Hasidic sources, the generation of the wilderness emerges as one of extraordinary spiritual experience, receivers of the Torah to the fullest extent, fed on miracles and nurtured directly by God: a generation of ecstatic faith, human partners in an unprecedented conversation with the Deity. Drawing on kabbalistic sources, the Hasidic commentators on the book of Numbers depict a people who transcend prudent considerations in order to follow God into the wilderness, where their spiritual yearning comes to full expression.<br> &#160;<br> This view of the wilderness history invites us into a different kind of listening to the many cries of distrust, lament, and resentment that issue from the Israelites throughout the book of Numbers. Is there a way to integrate this narrative of dark murmurings, of obsessive fantasies of return to Egypt, with the celebration of a love-intoxicated wilderness discourse? The question touches not only on the language the Israelites speak but also on the very nature of human utterance. Who are these people? Who are we who listen to them? What effect does the cumulative trauma of slavery, the miracles of Exodus, the revelation at Sinai, have on a nation that is beginning to speak? In <i>Bewilderments,</i> one of the most admired biblical commentators at work today posits fascinating answers to these questions through the magnificent literary, scholarly, and psychological analysis of the text that is her trademark.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97808052430552015-02-24T00:30:00-05:00The Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings by Dr. Everett Foxwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805241815"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780805241815" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805241815">The Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings</a> The Schocken Bible, Volume II<br/><b>Translated by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=2000246">Dr. Everett Fox</a></h3><b>Hardcover</b>, 880 pages | Schocken | Religion - Bible - Criticism, Interpretation - Old Testament; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Bible - Commentaries - Old Testament | <b>$50.00</b> | 978-0-8052-4181-5 (0-8052-4181-7)<p>The story of ancient Israel, from the arrival in Canaan to the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah and the Babylonian exile some six centuries later, here is the highly anticipated second volume <br> in Everett Fox&rsquo;s landmark translation of the Hebrew Bible.<br><br> The personalities who appear in the pages of <i>The Early Prophets,</i> and the political and moral dilemmas their stories illuminate, are part of the&#160;living consciousness of the Western world. From Joshua and the tumbling walls of Jericho to Samson and Delilah, the prophet Samuel and the tragic King Saul, David and Goliath, Bathsheba and Absalom, King Solomon&rsquo;s temple, Elijah and the chariot of fire, Ahab and Jezebel&mdash;the stories of these men and women are deeply etched into Western culture because they beautifully encapsulate the human experience. The four books that comprise <i>The Early Prophets </i>look at tribal rivalries, dramatic changes in leadership, and the intrusions of neighboring empires through the prism of the divine-human relationship. Over the centuries, the faithful have read these narratives as demonstrations of the perils of disobeying God&rsquo;s will, and time and again Jews in exile found that the stories spoke to their own situations of cultural assimilation, destruction, and the reformulation of identity. They have had an equally indelible impact on generations of Christians, who have seen in many of the narratives foreshadowings of the life and death of Jesus, as well as models for their own lives and the careers of their leaders.<br><br> But beyond its importance as a foundational religious document, <i>The Early Prophets</i> is a great work of literature, a powerful and distinctive narrative of the past that seeks meaning in the midst of national catastrophe. Accompanied by illuminating commentary, notes, and maps, Everett Fox&rsquo;s masterly translation of the Hebrew original re-creates the echoes, allusions, alliterations, and wordplays that rhetorically underscore its meaning and are intrinsic to a timeless text meant to be both studied and read aloud.</p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97808052418152014-11-04T00:30:00-05:00The Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings by Dr. Everett Foxwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805243239"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780805243239" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805243239">The Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings</a> The Schocken Bible, Volume II<br/><b>Translated by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=2000246">Dr. Everett Fox</a></h3><b>eBook</b>, 880 pages | Schocken | Religion - Bible - Criticism, Interpretation - Old Testament; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Bible - Commentaries - Old Testament | <b>$39.99</b> | 978-0-8052-4323-9 (0-8052-4323-2)<p>The story of ancient Israel, from the arrival in Canaan to the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah and the Babylonian exile some six centuries later, here is the highly anticipated second volume <br> in Everett Fox&rsquo;s landmark translation of the Hebrew Bible.<br><br> The personalities who appear in the pages of <i>The Early Prophets,</i> and the political and moral dilemmas their stories illuminate, are part of the&#160;living consciousness of the Western world. From Joshua and the tumbling walls of Jericho to Samson and Delilah, the prophet Samuel and the tragic King Saul, David and Goliath, Bathsheba and Absalom, King Solomon&rsquo;s temple, Elijah and the chariot of fire, Ahab and Jezebel&mdash;the stories of these men and women are deeply etched into Western culture because they beautifully encapsulate the human experience. The four books that comprise <i>The Early Prophets </i>look at tribal rivalries, dramatic changes in leadership, and the intrusions of neighboring empires through the prism of the divine-human relationship. Over the centuries, the faithful have read these narratives as demonstrations of the perils of disobeying God&rsquo;s will, and time and again Jews in exile found that the stories spoke to their own situations of cultural assimilation, destruction, and the reformulation of identity. They have had an equally indelible impact on generations of Christians, who have seen in many of the narratives foreshadowings of the life and death of Jesus, as well as models for their own lives and the careers of their leaders.<br><br> But beyond its importance as a foundational religious document, <i>The Early Prophets</i> is a great work of literature, a powerful and distinctive narrative of the past that seeks meaning in the midst of national catastrophe. Accompanied by illuminating commentary, notes, and maps, Everett Fox&rsquo;s masterly translation of the Hebrew original re-creates the echoes, allusions, alliterations, and wordplays that rhetorically underscore its meaning and are intrinsic to a timeless text meant to be both studied and read aloud.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97808052432392014-11-04T00:30:00-05:00The Essential Zohar by Rav P.S. Bergwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780676905137"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780676905137" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780676905137">The Essential Zohar</a> <br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=54176">Rav P.S. Berg</a></h3><b>eBook</b>0 | Harmony | Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings | <b>$11.99</b> | 978-0-676-90513-7 (0-676-90513-7)<p>For thousands of years, no book has been more shrouded in mystery than the Zohar, yet no book offers us greater wisdom. The central text of Kabbalah, the Zohar is a commentary on the Bible&#8217;s narratives, laws, and genealogies and a map of the spiritual landscape. In <b>The Essential Zohar</b>, the eminent kabbalist Rav P. S. Berg decodes its teachings on evil, redemption, human relationships, wealth and poverty, and other fundamental concerns from a practical, contemporary perspective. The Zohar and Kabbalah have traditionally been known as the world&#8217;s most esoteric sources of spiritual knowledge, but Rav Berg has dedicated his life to making this concentrated distillation of infinite wisdom available to people of all faiths so that we may use its principles to live each day in harmony with the divine.</p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97806769051372011-11-30T00:30:00-05:00Daily Kabbalah by Andrew Weil, M.D.www.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781583944790"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9781583944790" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781583944790">Daily Kabbalah</a> Wisdom from the Tree of Life<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=77097">Rabbi Gershon Winkler</a><br> <b>Foreword by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=2074562">Andrew Weil, M.D.</a></h3><b>eBook</b>, 384 pages | North Atlantic Books | Religion - Judaism - Kabbalah & Mysticism; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings | <b>$16.99</b> | 978-1-58394-479-0 (1-58394-479-6)<p>From sorcery to animal totems, buzzard feathers to hawk spirits, talking trees to magical stones, sacred circles to healing rituals, the Kabbalah brings readers a rich body of ancient wisdom that has been long neglected and even longer misunderstood. The Kabbalah celebrates a quality of consciousness that enables one to experience magic in the ordinary, miracles in the natural course of events, and spirituality in the physical. Its roots are as old and rich as most aboriginal shamanic traditions, sharing in common with many of them the belief that all of creation is alive, from animals and plants to the sun and the moon.The uniqueness of this book lies in its selections from this rare tradition of Jewish mystery wisdom. Culled from ancient and medieval Hebraic and Aramaic sources, much of this material has been hidden in dusty archives or obscure translations. These short selected readings are intended as contemplative, inspirational, and even entertaining extracts. As short as a few lines or as long as a page, they are translated and paraphrased here to render them accessible to readers of all backgrounds and spiritual paths.<br><br><br><i>From the Trade Paperback edition.</i></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97815839447902011-10-25T00:30:00-05:00The Murmuring Deep by Avivah Gottlieb Zornbergwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805212068"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780805212068" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805212068">The Murmuring Deep</a> Reflections on the Biblical Unconscious<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=34154">Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg</a></h3><b>Trade Paperback</b>, 480 pages | Schocken | Religion - Bible - Criticism, Interpretation; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Psychology of Religion | <b>$19.95</b> | 978-0-8052-1206-8 (0-8052-1206-X)<p><p>Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg informs her literary analysis of the biblical text with concepts drawn from Freud, Winnicott, Laplanche, and other psychoanalytic thinkers to make a powerful argument for the idea that the creators of the midrashic commentary, the medieval rabbinic commentators, and the Hassidic commentators were themselves on some level aware of the complex interplay between conscious and unconscious levels of experience and used this knowledge in their interpretations.<br>&#160;<br>In her analysis of the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah, Abraham, Rebecca, Isaac, Joseph and his brothers, Ruth, and Esther, Zornberg offers fascinating insights into the interaction between consciousness and unconsciousness as she enhances our appreciation of the Bible as the foundational text in our quest to understand what it means to be human.</p></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97808052120682011-10-04T00:30:00-05:00The Alphabet That Changed the World by Charles Steinwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781556437236"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9781556437236" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781556437236">The Alphabet That Changed the World</a> How Genesis Preserves a Science of Consciousness in Geometry and Gesture<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=130006">Stan Tenen</a><br> <b>Edited by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=111671">Charles Stein</a></h3><b>Trade Paperback</b>, 392 pages | North Atlantic Books | Philosophy - Language; Language Arts - Alphabet; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings | <b>$44.00</b> | 978-1-55643-723-6 (1-55643-723-4)<p>Rabbinic tradition asserts that every letter of every word of the Torah is a word in itself. Author Stan Tenen demonstrates that each letter is also a hand gesture, and it is at this level that Hebrew forms a natural universal language. All people, including children before they speak and people without sight, make natural use of these gestures.<br> &#160;<br> In <i>The Alphabet That Changed the World, </i>Tenen examines the Hebrew text of Genesis and its relationship to the alphabet. He shows how each letter is both concept and gesture, with the form of the gesture matching the function of the concept. There is thus an implicit relationship between the physical world of function and the conscious world of concept. Using over 200 color illustrations, Tenen demonstrates geometric metaphor as the best framework for understanding the deepest meaning of the text. <br> &#160;<br> Such geometry models embryonic growth and self-organization and the core of many healing and meditative practices. Many subjects in contemporary science were derived from the methods and means available to the ancients; <i>The Alphabet That Changed the</i> <i>World </i>makes this authoritative recovery of the &ldquo;science of consciousness&rdquo; in Genesis accessible for the first time to the contemporary reading public.</p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97815564372362011-07-05T00:30:00-05:00The Kabbalah Reader by Arthur Kurzweilwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781590306567"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9781590306567" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781590306567">The Kabbalah Reader</a> A Sourcebook of Visionary Judaism<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=13231">Edward Hoffman</a><br> <b>Foreword by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=112292">Arthur Kurzweil</a></h3><b>Trade Paperback</b>, 272 pages | Trumpeter | Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Judaism - Kabbalah & Mysticism; Religion - Judaism | <b>$17.95</b> | 978-1-59030-656-7 (1-59030-656-2)<p>This comprehensive and accessible entr&eacute;e into the world of Kabbalah covers 1,600 years of Jewish mystical thought and features a variety of thinkers&mdash;from the renowned to the obscure&mdash;unavailable in any other volume. It&rsquo;s a fresh take on an ancient tradition compiled by Edward Hoffman, a psychologist and respected scholar of Judaism, who reveals how this supposedly esoteric material is relevant to a host of contemporary concerns, such as ethics, emotional health, intuition and creativity, meditation, social relations and leadership, and higher states of consciousness. <br><br>Contributors include: Moses Chaim Luzzatto, Moses Cordovero, Abraham Abulafia, Maimonides, Nachmanides, The Maharal, Nachman of Breslov, The Baal Shem Tov, The Gaon of Vilna, The Netziv, The Ben Ish Chai, Yehudah Ashlag, Kalonymus Shapira, Baba Sali, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, Adin Steinsaltz, Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi, Jonathan Sacks, and many others, along with excerpts from the <i>Sefer Yetzirah</i>, <i>Sefer HaBahir</i>, and<i> Sefer HaZohar</i>.</p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97815903065672010-04-13T00:30:00-05:00Harlot by the Side of the Road by Jonathan Kirschwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307567635"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780307567635" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307567635">Harlot by the Side of the Road</a> <br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=15819">Jonathan Kirsch</a></h3><b>eBook</b>, 416 pages | Ballantine Books | Religion - Judaism - History; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Bible - Criticism, Interpretation | <b>$13.99</b> | 978-0-307-56763-5 (0-307-56763-X)<p>Sex. Violence. Scandal. These are words we rarely associate with the sacred text of the Bible. Yet in this brilliant new book, Jonathan Kirsch shows that the Old Testament is filled with some of the most startling and explicit stories in all of Western literature. These tales of seduction and rape, voyeurism and exhibitionism, intermarriage and illegitimacy, assassination and murder have been suppressed by religious authorities throughout history precisely because they are so shocking. &quot;You mean that's in the Bible?&quot; is the common reaction of the contemporary reader to the stories that Kirsch retells and explores.<br><br>In The Harlot by the Side of the Road, Kirsch recounts these suppressed and mistranslated tales in the grand storytelling tradition. Here is the tale of Dinah, the young Israelite daughter raped by a princely suitor. The price for her hand in marriage? The circumcision of every man in his kingdom. Here, too, is the story of Lot's daughters, who, when faced with the possibility that they are the last survivors on earth, must copulate with their drunken father to continue their race. And the story of Tamar, the harlot by the side of the road, who must disguise herself as a prostitute and seduce her father-in-law in order to bear the child who has been promised her. <br><br>Kirsch places each story within the political and social context of its time, and delves into the latest biblical scholarship to explain why each story was originally censored. He also brings to light when and where each story was first written down, and how it found its way into the Bible. And he shows how these stories have something important to say to contemporary readers who might never pick up a Bible.<br><br>Kirsch reveals that the Bible's real power lies in its unflinching lessons in human nature. And he illuminates the surprising modernity of the Bible's characters: these were, like us, people delicately balanced between their destructive and generous natures. Certain to excite controversy and ignite intellectual debate, The Harlot by the Side of the Road will undoubtedly be one of the year's most talked-about books.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97803075676352009-09-23T00:30:00-05:00Five Cities of Refuge by David Mametwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307523785"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780307523785" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307523785">Five Cities of Refuge</a> Weekly Reflections on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=52352">Lawrence Kushner</a> and <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=18835">David Mamet</a></h3><b>eBook</b>0 | Schocken | Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings | <b>$15.99</b> | 978-0-307-52378-5 (0-307-52378-0)<p>In the ancient Jewish practice of the kavannah (a meditation designed to focus one&#8217;s heart on its spiritual goal), Lawrence Kushner and David Mamet offer their own reactions to key verses from each week&#8217;s Torah portion, opening the biblical text to new layers of understanding.<br><br>Here is a fascinating glimpse into two great minds, as each author approaches the text from his unique perspective, each seeking an understanding of the Bible&#8217;s personalities and commandments, paradoxes and ambiguities. Kushner offers his words of Torah with a conversational enthusiasm that ranges from family dynamics to the Kabbalah; Mamet challenges the reader, often beginning his comment far afield&#8212;with Freud or the American judiciary&#8212;before returning to a text now wholly reinterpreted.<br><br>In the tradition of Israel as a people who wrestle with God, Kushner and Mamet grapple with the biblical text, succumbing neither to apologetics nor parochialism, asking questions without fear of the answers they may find. Over the course of a year of weekly readings, they comment on all aspects of the Bible: its richness of theme and language, its contradictions, its commandments, and its often unfathomable demands. If you are already familiar with the Bible, this book will draw you back to the text for a deeper look. If you have not yet explored the Bible in depth, Kushner and Mamet are guides of unparalleled wisdom and discernment. Five Cities of Refuge is easily accessible yet powerfully illuminating. Each week&#8217;s comments can be read in a few minutes, but they will give you something to think about all week long. <br><br>Lawrence Kushner teaches and writes as the Emanu-El Scholar at The Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco. He has taught at Hebrew Union College&#8211;Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City and served for twenty-eight years as rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Sudbury, Massachusetts. A frequent lecturer, he is also the author of more than a dozen books on Jewish spirituality and mysticism. He lives in San Francisco.<br><br>David Mamet is a Pulitzer Prize&#8211;winning playwright. He is the author of <b>Glengarry Glen Ross, The Cryptogram,</b> and<b> Boston Marriage</b>, among other plays. He has also published three novels and many screenplays, children's books, and essay collections.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97803075237852009-09-09T00:30:00-05:00Rashi by Catherine Temersonwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805242546"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780805242546" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805242546">Rashi</a> <br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=33140">Elie Wiesel</a><br> <b>Translated by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=67546">Catherine Temerson</a></h3><b>Hardcover</b>, 128 pages | Schocken | Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Biography & Autobiography - Religious | <b>$22.00</b> | 978-0-8052-4254-6 (0-8052-4254-6)<p><b>Part of the Jewish Encounter series<br></b><br>From Elie Wiesel, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, comes a magical book that introduces us to the towering figure of Rashi&mdash;Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki&mdash;the great biblical and Talmudic commentator of the Middle Ages. <br><br>Wiesel brilliantly evokes the world of medieval European Jewry, a world of profound scholars and closed communities ravaged by outbursts of anti-Semitism and decimated by the Crusades. The incomparable scholar Rashi, whose phrase-by-phrase explication of the oral law has been included in every printing of the Talmud since the fifteenth century, was also a spiritual and religious leader: His perspective, encompassing both the mundane and the profound, is timeless.<br><br>Wiesel&rsquo;s Rashi is a heartbroken witness to the suffering of his people, and through his responses to major religious questions of the day we see still another side of this greatest of all interpreters of the sacred writings. <br><br>Both beginners and advanced students of the Bible rely on Rashi&rsquo;s groundbreaking commentary for simple text explanations and Midrashic interpretations. Wiesel, a descendant of Rashi, proves an incomparable guide who enables us to appreciate both the lucidity of Rashi&rsquo;s writings and the milieu in which they were formed.</p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97808052425462009-08-11T00:30:00-05:00Rashi by Catherine Temersonwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307378675"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780307378675" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307378675">Rashi</a> <br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=33140">Elie Wiesel</a><br> <b>Translated by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=67546">Catherine Temerson</a></h3><b>eBook</b>, 224 pages | Schocken | Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Biography & Autobiography - Religious | <b>$12.99</b> | 978-0-307-37867-5 (0-307-37867-5)<p><b>Part of the Jewish Encounter series<br></b><br>From Elie Wiesel, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, comes a magical book that introduces us to the towering figure of Rashi&mdash;Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki&mdash;the great biblical and Talmudic commentator of the Middle Ages. <br><br>Wiesel brilliantly evokes the world of medieval European Jewry, a world of profound scholars and closed communities ravaged by outbursts of anti-Semitism and decimated by the Crusades. The incomparable scholar Rashi, whose phrase-by-phrase explication of the oral law has been included in every printing of the Talmud since the fifteenth century, was also a spiritual and religious leader: His perspective, encompassing both the mundane and the profound, is timeless.<br><br>Wiesel&rsquo;s Rashi is a heartbroken witness to the suffering of his people, and through his responses to major religious questions of the day we see still another side of this greatest of all interpreters of the sacred writings. <br><br>Both beginners and advanced students of the Bible rely on Rashi&rsquo;s groundbreaking commentary for simple text explanations and Midrashic interpretations. Wiesel, a descendant of Rashi, proves an incomparable guide who enables us to appreciate both the lucidity of Rashi&rsquo;s writings and the milieu in which they were formed.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97803073786752009-08-11T00:30:00-05:00Daily Kabbalah by Andrew Weil, M.D.www.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781556437946"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9781556437946" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781556437946">Daily Kabbalah</a> Wisdom from the Tree of Life<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=77097">Rabbi Gershon Winkler</a><br> <b>Foreword by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=2074562">Andrew Weil, M.D.</a></h3><b>Trade Paperback</b>, 384 pages | North Atlantic Books | Religion - Judaism - Kabbalah & Mysticism; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Judaism | <b>$17.95</b> | 978-1-55643-794-6 (1-55643-794-3)<p>From sorcery to animal totems, buzzard feathers to hawk spirits, talking trees to magical stones, sacred circles to healing rituals, the Kabbalah brings readers a rich body of ancient wisdom that has been long neglected and even longer misunderstood. The Kabbalah celebrates a quality of consciousness that enables one to experience magic in the ordinary, miracles in the natural course of events, and spirituality in the physical. Its roots are as old and rich as most aboriginal shamanic traditions, sharing in common with many of them the belief that all of creation is alive, from animals and plants to the sun and the moon.The uniqueness of this book lies in its selections from this rare tradition of Jewish mystery wisdom. Culled from ancient and medieval Hebraic and Aramaic sources, much of this material has been hidden in dusty archives or obscure translations. These short selected readings are intended as contemplative, inspirational, and even entertaining extracts. As short as a few lines or as long as a page, they are translated and paraphrased here to render them accessible to readers of all backgrounds and spiritual paths.</p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97815564379462009-07-21T00:30:00-05:00The Murmuring Deep by Avivah Gottlieb Zornbergwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805242676"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780805242676" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805242676">The Murmuring Deep</a> Reflections on the Biblical Unconscious<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=34154">Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg</a></h3><b>eBook</b>0 | Schocken | Religion - Bible - Criticism, Interpretation; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Psychology of Religion | <b>$14.99</b> | 978-0-8052-4267-6 (0-8052-4267-8)<p>From one of the most innovative and acclaimed biblical commentators at work today, here is a revolutionary analysis of the intersection between religion and psychoanalysis in the stories of the men and women of the Bible. <br><br>For centuries scholars and rabbis have wrestled with the biblical narrative, attempting to answer the questions that arise from a plain reading of the text. In <i>The Murmuring Deep</i>, Avivah Zornberg informs her literary analysis of the text with concepts drawn from Freud, Winnicott, Laplanche, and other psychoanalytic thinkers to give us a new understanding of the desires and motivations of the men and women whose stories form the basis of the Bible. Through close readings of the biblical and midrashic texts, Zornberg makes a powerful argument for the idea that the creators of the midrashic commentary, the med&#173;ieval rabbinic commentators, and the Hassidic commentators were themselves on some level aware of the complex interplay between conscious and unconscious levels of experience and used this knowledge in their interpretations. <br><br>In her analysis of the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah, Abraham, Rebecca, Isaac, Joseph and his brothers, Ruth, and Esther&#8211;how they communicated with the world around them, with God, and with the various parts of their selves&#8211;Zornberg offers fascinating insights into the interaction between consciousness and unconsciousness. In discussing why God has to &#8220;seduce&#8221; Adam into entering the Garden of Eden or why Jonah thinks he can hide from God by getting on a ship, Zornberg enhances our appreciation of the Bible as the foundational text in our quest to understand what it means to be human.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97808052426762009-03-31T00:30:00-05:00Essential Torah by George Robinsonwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307484376"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780307484376" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307484376">Essential Torah</a> A Complete Guide to the Five Books of Moses<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=25831">George Robinson</a></h3><b>eBook</b>, 624 pages | Schocken | Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Judaism - Beliefs, Practices, Rituals; Religion - Bible - Study - Old Testament | <b>$20.99</b> | 978-0-307-48437-6 (0-307-48437-8)<p>Whether you are thinking about studying the Bible for the first time or you&#8217;re simply curious about its history and contents, you will find everything you need in Essential Torah. George Robinson, author of the acclaimed <i>Essential Judaism</i>, begins by recounting the various theories of the origins of the Torah and goes on to explain its importance as the core element in Jewish belief and practice. He discusses the basics of Jewish theology and Jewish history as they are derived from the Torah, and he outlines how the Dead Sea Scrolls and other archaeological discoveries have enhanced our understanding of the Bible. He introduces us to the vast literature of biblical commentary, chronicles the evolution of the Torah&#8217;s place in the synagogue service, offers an illuminating discussion of women and the Bible, and provides a study guide as a companion for individual or group Bible study. In the book&#8217;s centerpiece, Robinson summarizes all fifty-four portions that make up the Torah and gives us a brilliant distillation of two thousand years of biblical commentaries&#8211;from the rabbis of the Mishnah and the Talmud to medieval commentators such as Rashi, Maimonides, and ibn Ezra to contemporary scholars such as Nahum Sarna, Nechama Leibowitz, Robert Alter, and Everett Fox.<br><br>This extraordinary volume&#8211;which includes a listing of the Torah reading cycles, a Bible time line, glossaries of terms and biblical commentators, and a bibliography&#8211;will stand as the essential sourcebook on the Torah for years to come.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97803074843762008-12-17T00:30:00-05:00Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? by Ilana Kurshanwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307493163"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780307493163" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307493163">Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?</a> The Four Questions Around the World<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=76230">Ilana Kurshan</a></h3><b>eBook</b>, 160 pages | Schocken | Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings | <b>$12.99</b> | 978-0-307-49316-3 (0-307-49316-4)<p>This fascinating, informative, and beautifully illustrated books translates the Passover seder's Four Questions into twenty-three languages and provides capsule histories of the Jews in the countries where the languages are spoken.<br><br>The recitation of the Four Questions at the beginning of the Passover seder by the youngest participant is one of the highlights of the evening and captures its very essence: to keep the memory of the Exodus of the Jews from Egyptian slavery alive in our minds, and to teach our children about their heritage and history. This unique volume covers a variety of languages of the Jewish Diaspora&#8212;from French to Farsi, from Latin to Ladino, from Amharic to Afrikaans, from Yiddish to Swedish to Chinese. For each language a translation (and, where necessary, a transliteration) of the Four Questions is provided, accompanied by a brief overview of Jewish life and culture among the speakers of the language, and an illustrations of either historical or contemporary interest.<br><br>The perfect seder gift, <b>Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?</b><i> </i>is also an excellent introduction to Jewish history in the Diaspora for young and old alike.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97803074931632008-11-19T00:30:00-05:00The Wisdom of Maimonides by Edward Hoffmanwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781590305171"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9781590305171" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781590305171">The Wisdom of Maimonides</a> The Life and Writings of the Jewish Sage<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=13231">Edward Hoffman</a></h3><b>Trade Paperback</b>, 224 pages | Trumpeter | Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Judaism - Kabbalah & Mysticism; Religion - Judaism | <b>$15.95</b> | 978-1-59030-517-1 (1-59030-517-5)<p>Here is an accessible introduction to the life and wisdom of the famous twelfth-century philosopher-physician Moses Maimonides, whose prolific writings on medical and religious issues, commentaries on Jewish texts, and writings on Jewish ethics and law profoundly influenced Judaism. <br><br>The Wisdom of Maimonides includes a biography; a section of selected teachings drawn from Maimonides' major works <i>The Guide for the Perplexed</i> and the <i>Mishneh Torah</i>, as well as his other writings; and tales about Maimonides' colorful life as a court physician and rabbinic leader.</p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97815903051712008-05-13T00:30:00-05:00Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? by Ilana Kurshanwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805242522"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780805242522" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780805242522">Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?</a> "The Four Questions" Around the World<br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=76230">Ilana Kurshan</a></h3><b>Hardcover</b>, 160 pages | Schocken | Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings | <b>$16.00</b> | 978-0-8052-4252-2 (0-8052-4252-X)<p>This fascinating, informative, and beautifully illustrated books translates the Passover seder's Four Questions into twenty-three languages and provides capsule histories of the Jews in the countries where the languages are spoken.<br><br>The recitation of the Four Questions at the beginning of the Passover seder by the youngest participant is one of the highlights of the evening and captures its very essence: to keep the memory of the Exodus of the Jews from Egyptian slavery alive in our minds, and to teach our children about their heritage and history. This unique volume covers a variety of languages of the Jewish Diaspora&#8212;from French to Farsi, from Latin to Ladino, from Amharic to Afrikaans, from Yiddish to Swedish to Chinese. For each language a translation (and, where necessary, a transliteration) of the Four Questions is provided, accompanied by a brief overview of Jewish life and culture among the speakers of the language, and an illustrations of either historical or contemporary interest.<br><br>The perfect seder gift, <b>Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?</b><i> </i>is also an excellent introduction to Jewish history in the Diaspora for young and old alike.</p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97808052425222008-03-04T00:30:00-05:00The Beliefnet Guide to Kabbalah by Lawrence Kushnerwww.randomhouse.com<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307423900"><img align="right" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/catalog_cover.pperl?9780307423900" border="1"/></a><h3><a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307423900">The Beliefnet Guide to Kabbalah</a> <br/><b>Written by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=60195">Arthur Goldwag</a><br> <b>Introduction by</b> <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=52352">Lawrence Kushner</a></h3><b>eBook</b>, 192 pages | Harmony | Religion - Judaism; Religion - Judaism - Sacred Writings; Religion - Judaism - Beliefs, Practices, Rituals | <b>$9.99</b> | 978-0-307-42390-0 (0-307-42390-5)<p>This lively, easy-to-follow guide to Kabbalah introduces the ancient Jewish mystical tradition that has captured the interest of Hollywood stars and the general public alike. <br><br>With celebrities like Madonna, Paris Hilton, Demi Moore, and Britney Spears announcing their fascination with Kabbalah, curiosity about this ancient Jewish mystical tradition continues to grow. <i>The Beliefnet</i>&#174;<i> Guide to Kabbalah</i> is a highly informative, reader-friendly overview of Kabbalah, whose messages Moses is said to have received from God on Mount Sinai. A collection of speculations on the nature of divinity, the creation, the origins and fate of the soul, and the role of human beings in the world, Kabbalah&#8217;s meaning and messages have influenced Jews, Christians, and others alike&#8212;and intrigued scholars for generations. <br><br><i>The Beliefnet</i>&#174;<i> Guide to Kabbalah</i> covers the essentials of Kabbalah&#8217;s history, sheds light on what Kabbalists believe (including their views on angels and demons and on the afterlife), and provides instructions on both traditional and contemporary meditative, devotional, mystical, and magical practices. Sidebars featuring key facts, anecdotes, and frequently asked questions add to the book&#8217;s scope and appeal. <br><br>From the premier source of information on religion and spirituality, the Beliefnet&#174; Guides introduce you to the major traditions, leaders, and issues of faith in the world today.<br><br><br><i>From the Trade Paperback edition.</i></p><br clear="all">http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=97803074239002007-12-18T00:30:00-05:00